Heavy and bulky article handling equipment has usually been designed only with respect to the particular type of article and to handle the article in a very limited way. Thus, there is one piece of equipment to pick up individual articles, a second piece of equipment to transport a plurality of articles, a third piece of equipment to unload the articles from the transporter, and a fourth piece of equipment to stack the articles. This is generally the case for equipment designed to handle the modern large round hay bales. Whereas the conventional box-shaped hay bale was relatively small and weighed less than 50 lbs., the round hay bale is made with a diameter of 5 or 6 feet and commonly weights between 600 and 3,000 lbs., depending upon material density and moisture content, and is approximately 5 feet long.
Commercial farm equipment exists in which the large round hay bales are wound in situ at the same time the hay is being harvested. Modern farming techniques call for the baler to follow or be part of the hay harvesting equipment and to form the large hay bales and deposit them in a plurality of rows. The hay bales are then collected, usually by a forklift, and deposited on a transporting piece of equipment. After the bales have been taken to the storage location, another piece of equipment is usually required to unload the transporter and yet another piece of equipment is required to stack the hay bales. Finally, still another piece of apparatus is usually used for unrolling the hay bales and distributing the hay to livestock, such as cattle.
Prior art devices for lifting, transporting, stacking, unrolling, or otherwise handling the large round hay bales are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Adam, No. 4,117,940 which discloses a side self-loading, rear self-discharging trailer for transporting a number of round hay bales; Grillot, No. 4,088,272 which discloses a bale self-loader and shredder; McFarland, No. 4,084,707 which discloses a round bale, self-loading, transporting, and unrolling machine; Smith, No. 4,037,741 which discloses a bale loading and transporting apparatus having a feed rack structure for allowing livestock to feed on the bales; Godberson, No. 3,968,940 which discloses apparatus mountable on a three-point hitch of a trailer for engaging, lifting, transporting, and unwinding a single round bale of hay; Brummit, No. 3,908,846, which discloses a large round bale handling apparatus mountable on a three-point hitch of a tractor for engaging, lifting, transporting, and unwinding a single round hay bale; Waske et al, No. 3,897,880 and Hostetler, No. 3,896,956, each of which discloses a device mountable on a pick-up truck for engaging, lifting, and transporting a single bale of hay. In addition, French Pat. No. 2,337,496 and Canadian Pat. No. 980,731 disclose further devices mountable on a three-point hitch of a tractor for handling round hay bales. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,612 to Hall and No. 3,820,673 to McVaugh disclose specially designed trucks for loading and transporting cable reels.
A study of the devices depicted in the aforedescribed patents and of some commercially available machines reveals several deficiencies. Although some of these machines perform a number of functions regarding the handling of hay bales, none of the machines combine into one apparatus the feature of self-loading; the ability to load in the hay baler path; the ability to transport and unload the hay bales; the ability to stack the hay bales; the ability to retrieve hay bales arranged in a line; and the ability to unwind the hay bales. In addition, several of the devices employing chain conveyers for bale movement cause damage to the hay and the twine as the hay bales are being handled. In addition, may serious accidents have occurred through improper use of those machines employing a front end loader and many of the self-feeding systems result in a large amount of hay wastage and excessive intake as well as significant losses in transporting of the bales.